Mine-cage.



W. C. ALSMAN.

MINE CAGE.

APPLlCATlON FILED 1AN.19.1918.

Patented Mar. 26, 1918.

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W. C. ALSMAN.

MINE CAGE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19. I918.

Patented Mar. 26, 1918.

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WILLIAM C. ALSMAN, 0F SULLIVAN, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T0 SULLIVAN MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF SULLIVAN, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

MINE-CAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 26, 1918.

Application filed January 19, 1918. Serial No. 212,665.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. ALSMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sullivan, in the county of Sullivan and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mine-Cages, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawmgs.

This invention relates to certain improvements in mine cages and it is an object of the invention to provide a novel and improved device of this general character including a tiltable platform or floor whereby a car positioned upon the platform or floor may be emptied of its contents with convenience and facility.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a mine cage with novel and improved means whereby a car may be effectively held upon a tiltable platform or floor and whereby such means may be engaged or dlsengaged from the car with facility.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my 1mproved mine cage whereby certaln important advantages are attained and the device rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth,

The novel features of my invention will hereinafter be definitely claimed.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevatlon of a mine cage constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention, a car positioned thereon being indicated by dotted lines and a trip member being shown in fragment;

Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation of my improved cage as herein disclosed, a car positioned thereon being also indicated by dotted lines;

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view of my improved cage as herein in cluded with certain of the parts in elevation and the platform in its normal or horizontal position; and

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View taken through my improved cage with the platform or floor in a tilted or discharg- 1ng position.

As disclosed my improved cage comprises at opposite sides thereof the vertically disposed standards S and each of the standards S comprises two L-beams 1 in parallel relation and tied or connected adjacent their opposite ends by the plates 2 which serve to maintain said beams 1 in predetermined spaced relation. The flange of each of the beams 1 is outwardly directed wherein a channel is afiorded between said beams 1 to receive the guides (not shown) usually positioned within a mine shaft.

The upper margins of the lower plates 2 are provided with the inwardly directed flanges 3 upon which the side members or beams 4 of the platform or floor P are adapted to rest when said platform or floor P is in its normal or horizontal position. The side members or beams 4 at substantially the longitudinal center thereof have interposed therebetween and suitably connected thereto the parallel transverse beams 5 in predetermined spaced relation and equi-distantly spaced from but in close proximity to the longitudinal center of the side members or beams 41:. Extending longitudinally of the platform or floor P and disposed through the end beams or members 6 of said platform or fioor and through the beams 5 is the rock shaft 7 The end portions of the shaft 7 extend beyond the end beam 6 and secured to said extended portions are the levers or handles 8 whereby the requisite rocking movement may be imparted to the shaft 7 for a purpose which will be hereinafter fully explained.

Depending from the opposite end portions of the beams 5 are the arms 9. Extending between each pair or set of arms 9 is a keeper 10 having its lower portion pivotally engaged as at 11 with the lower end portions of the arms 9. The upper end portions of each of the keepers 11 is forked with the fingers or arms 12 of such forked portions oppositely directed longitudinally of the platform or floor P and also disposed on a predetermined incline inwardly of the platform or floor P. I

When a car C, indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2, is properly positioned upon the fioor or platform. P the upper or forked ends of the keepers 10 are swung inwardly to engage the wheels of the car in order and between the beams 5 are the parallel plates 14 and extending between the opposite end portions of the plates and pivotally engaged therewith as at 15 are rigid links or arms 16 extending in opposite directions having their outer end portions pivotally engaged as at 17 with the keepers 10 above their pivots 11. The rigid link or arm 16 engaged with one keeper is pivotally engaged between the end portions of the plate remote therefrom as is clearly indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. By this arrangement, it will be at once perceived that by imparting requisite rocking movement to the shaft 7 through the medium of a lever or handle 8 the keepers 10 will be moved in unison, but in reversed direction so that the arms 12 thereof may be caused to engage or disengage the wheels of the car as the occasion of practice requires.

The lower end portions of the beams'l of the standards S are also connected by the plates 18 extending beyond the side of the standards S and pivotally engaged as at 19 with the extended portions of the plates are the inner end portions of the arms 20.

The outer end portions of the arms 20 are pivotally engaged as at 21 with the end portions of the sidemembers 1 beyond the side of the standards S from which the extensions of the plates 18 are disposed. Each of the pivots 21 also serves as a mountlng for a roller 22 which is adapted to engage a trip T to cause the desired tilting of the platform or floor P when the cage has been elevated to a predetermined point. As the detailed construction of the trip T forms no part of my invention, a detailed description and illustration thereof is believed to be unnecessary.

Pivotally engaged as at 23 with the beams 1 of the standards remote from the arms 20 are the inner end portions of the arms 21 which have their opposite end portions pivotally engaged as at 25 with the end portions of the side members or beams & remote from the arms 20. The pivotal connections 23 are in a horizontal plane above the horizontal plane occupied by the pivots 19, but the distance between the pivots 23 and 25 is substantially equal to the distance between the pivots 19 and 21. These particular relative arrangements of the arms 20 and 24; permit the tilting of the platform or floor P from the horizontal in one direction only. When the cage is employed with passengers the'holding chain 26is employed.

One end of the chain 26 is engageable with the hook member 27 carried by the beam 1 of a standard S andat a point above the platform or floor P when in its horizontal position and the opposite end of said chain 26 is engageable with the hook member 28 carried by the side member or beam 1 at a point adjacent a roller 22.

The upper end portions of the beams 1 have interposed therebetween and-suitably connected thereto the beams 29 arranged in parallelism and disposed transversely of the platform or floor P. The hoisting cable (not shown) is adapted to be' engaged with said beams in a conventional manner. The beams 29 have disposed therefrom in oppo site directions and adjacent their ends, the supporting frames 30 to afford a support for the roof or top 31 extending beyond opposite sidesof the standards S and in a direction longitudinally of the platform or floor P.

The space between the beams 29 adjacent the opposite ends thereof is intersectedfby V the members 32 supported by the beams 29. The members 32 are directed throughthe longitudinally disposed slots 33 produced in the outer endportions of the" safety dogs 34. The inner end portions of the dogs 3st are pivotally engaged asat 35 with the upstanding clevis 36 which is adapted to be suitably secured,.with the hoisting cable. Engaged with the pivots 35 between'the dogs'34 is the upper end portion of the depending arm 37. The lower end portion of the arm 37 is suitably connected at substantially the longitudinal center of a semielliptical spring 38. The extremities of the spring'38 contact with the end faces of the dogs 3l outwardly of the members 33 so that in the event of the hoisting cable breaking, the dogs 34 will be automatically forced outwardly to engage the guides, not shown, to prevent the dropping of the cage.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a mine cage constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason Ido not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. A mine cage comprising a pair of standards, means for maintaining said standards in predetermined spaced relation, a tiltable platform disposed between the standards, members carried by the standards upon which the platform rests when in substantially a horizontal position, arms pivotally connected With the standards below the platform and pivotally engaged with an end portion of the platform, a second set of arms pivotally engaged with the opposite end portions of the platform and with the standards at a point above the pivotal connection between the standards and the first named arms, and detachable means coacting with the platform and a standard for holding the platform against tilting movement when in substantially horizontal position.

2. A mine cage comprising a pair of standards, means for maintaining said standards in predetermined spaced relation, a tiltable platform disposed between the standards, members carried by the standards upon which the platform rests when in substantially a horizontal position, arms pivota-lly connected with the standards below the platform and pivotally engaged with an end portion of the platform, and a second set of arms pivotally engaged with the opposite end portions of the platform and with the standards at a point above the pivotal connection between the standards and the first named arms.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

WILLIAM G. ALSMAN.

Copiea of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

